People ask us all the time if Piper talks. Honestly, it drives me crazy. Of all the parts that make up Piper, it is the very last characteristic I would think of. I want to ask the person posing the question if their dog or cat converses? But I don’t, as I realize that somewhere along the line a talking bird became an expectation, Big Bird excluded. Big Bird can do no wrong.
What I do reply is that Piper chortles when we chat with him, that he makes all sorts of cute vocalizations. You should hear him purr or growl. The truth of the matter is that Mister Rain and I speak Piper. There are about 10 different sounds that he makes, all having distinct meanings. He has a “night night” peep when he’s ready for bed. He gives us sass when we “shout” at him after he throws his toys on the floor, a constant occurrence all day, every day. We make a fun fuss about not picking up his mess, he gets so excited, coming right back at his mom and dad like any teenager would if they could. He has a call when Mister Rain and I leave the room, although in some cases he could care less, content to entertain himself. Then there is the snack time escalation. Piper gets some treats everyday at 3 pm. If we are late with them, a soft cooing begins. The volume increases, slightly at first. By then one of us has gotten up to get them, but that’s when he get loud. Piper will start . . . well, screaming. This doesn’t happen every afternoon but it’s pretty funny when it does because Mister Rain or I will yell from the kitchen, “I’m going as fast as I can!”, which only spurs Piper on. It is truly a zoo here, mostly due to the human behavior as opposed to the actual “animal.”
Perhaps my favorite of all Piper’s verbalizations is his warning signal. From his mansion, he can see out the front window. If he observes someone approaching the house, he will apprise his flock of danger. Usually he is too busy amusing himself, and us, but should an intruder catch his eye, he will squawk the alarm. He loves to sit on Mister Rain’s hand at the same window, watching the occasional car go by. I don’t think he has ever sent an alert from this perch, but I know he is always on the lookout, ever vigilant, ready to protect his family. He can tell when one of us isn’t feeling well, in those instances, he will sit quietly with us, cuddling up against our neck. If Mister Rain and I raise our voices (okay, it’s typically me), Piper makes a unique howl. If I cry, he does not like it, there is a sad mimic that comes from him.
Although he is little, reliant on us for just about everything, Piper has been taking care of us since we brought him home from A Helping Wing Parrot Rescue & Sanctuary. Does Piper talk? You’re damn right he does.
#sisterrain #alittlesightalotofheart #birdmom #adoptdontshop #parrotsofinstagram #conure #ahelpingwingparrotrescue #squawkingthesamelanguage
